Utilization of community mental health services among individuals of Arab American ancestry

Planning the delivery of mental health services should be based on specific needs of the community. Wayne State University (Project CARE) assists the Detroit Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency in implementing evidence-based practices and facilitating performance improvement. In partnership with leaders from the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), Project CARE conducted a study to assess the variation in diagnoses and mental health services provided among individuals of Arab American ancestry residing in Wayne County. Using a large administrative database which documents consumers of services and tracks and manages services within the community mental health system, de-identified data were used to examine the major mental health diagnoses among different ethnic groups. Among Arab Americans with at least one claim for mental health services, 4.7 percent of 3,698 consumers had a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In contrast, among both African Americans and Caucasians, only 1.1 percent had a diagnosis of PTSD (of 54,149 and 31,248 consumers, respectively). Anxiety disorders were also diagnosed more frequently among Arab Americans (6.8% vs. 3.7% and 5.0% respectively). The proportional distribution of the diagnosis of schizophrenia among Arab Americans was less than half that of other ethnic groups combined (6.2% vs. 16.6% and 11.2% respectively). The presentation will address the implications of the findings related to targeting outreach efforts and tailoring community mental health services delivery strategies to match the needs of this important group of Americans.